Expatica France, France
May 6 2007
Names to watch out for in Sarkozy presidency
PARIS, May 6, 2007 (AFP) – As president of France, Nicolas Sarkozy
will appoint the country’s next prime minister and help draw up the
list of cabinet ministers. Here are some names to watch out for.
Francois Fillon, 53, is cited as a likely prime minister. A close
advisor to Sarkozy, Fillon regularly deputised for him in media
interviews during the campaign. As social affairs minister from
2002-2004, he saw through a major reform of the pensions system. He
is seen as a calm and competent pair of hands. Senator for the Sarthe
department of western France, he is married to a Welsh woman and has
five children.
Jean-Louis Borloo, 56, is also named as a possible prime minister.
Since 2004 minister of employment and social cohesion, Borloo is seen
as a popular politician with a strong record of help for the
disadvantaged. Once France’s highest-paid corporate lawyer, Borloo
has a touch of the eccentric genius. After serving as president of
Valenciennes football club in the north of France, he was elected the
town’s mayor and won plaudits for his regeneration programme. He is
married to television journalist Beatrice Schonberg.
Rachida Dati, 41, has become a national figure as Sarkozy’s official
spokeswoman during the campaign. One of 12 children born to north
African immigrants, she worked for many years as an accountant before
becoming Sarkozy’s advisor on immigration in 2002. She strongly
supports Sarkozy’s ideas on affirmative action to help minorities and
is a hot tip for a ministry in the new government — especially as he
has promised a significant number of woman ministers.
Arno Klarsfeld, 41, is the son of renowned Nazi hunters Serge and
Beate Klarsfeld. A lawyer and human-rights activist, Klarsfeld fell
out with the French left when he took Israeli citizenship in 2002 and
served in the Israeli army. In the last two years Klarsfeld undertook
several mediation missions on behalf of Sarkozy, who was serving as
interior minister. He drew up a report on the expulsion of illegal
immigrants and helped negotiate a deal to end protests by homeless
campaigners.
Brice Hortefeux, 47, has been a close friend of Sarkozy since their
youth in the Paris suburb of Neuilly. He is currently junior minister
for local government, and is likely to get a senior post in the
cabinet.
Patrick Devedjian, 52, is a senior member of Sarkozy’s Union for a
Popular Movement (UMP) and was a junior minister between 2002 and
2005. During the campaign, he was regularly on the air-waves arguing
Sarkozy’s case. He is of Armenian origin and a vocal campaigner for
recognition of the Armenian "genocide".
Claude Gueant, 62, is a senior civil servant who was Sarkozy’s
cabinet director at the ministries of interior and finance. Since
January he has been Sarkozy’s campaign manager. His appointment as
Sarkozy’s secretary-general at the Elysee palace is seen as probable.
Xavier Bertrand, 42, was health minister from 2005 till earlier this
year when he resigned to become campaign spokesman for Sarkozy.
Eric Besson, 49, was the Socialist Party’s economic specialist until
his spectacular departure earlier this year in protest against
Segolene Royal’s campaign. He launched a stinging attack on her in a
best-selling book, and then publicly backed Sarkozy in the second
round of the election. He appeared next to Sarkozy in several
rallies. He is a possible ministerial nominee if Sarkozy wants to
broaden his government outside the UMP.
Michele Alliot-Marie, 61, has been defence minister since 2002. Once
seen as a presidential rival to Sarkozy, she rallied to his side in
January and was active in the campaign.
Jean-Pierre Raffarin, 58, was prime minister from 2002 to 2005. He
was a vocal supporter of Sarkozy during the campaign.